R+D

Research

Our Research and Development group aims to address the most pressing problems facing the industry by thinking of alternative approaches to the way we build and live. We develop research through interdisciplinary collaboration. We approach the environmental and social challenges as opportunities for innovation and improvement.

Our research lies at the intersection between Nature and Technology, bringing together sustainability and digital innovation in finding new design solutions . We believe It’s not only about building objects and spaces but about designing the logics of the systems to build them. Systems that can adapt and evolve as need arises.

To rethink the way we live we must rethink the way we build

We are looking at new models of the designer to end user relationship .  Homes can be customised to fit client needs while standardising components  that that can be mass produced . Ti creates an environment that can cater varied types of users but also delivering at a cost that can be anticipated and manged to meet demand.

Solving the Housing Crisis

The housing sector faces two massive challenges; The first is addressing the affordable housing shortage and the second are the ambitious zero carbon goals set by the government to combat climate change.

A conservative construction industry is proving slow to adapt to face these goals and a new model for design is needed to rethink the relationship between the home and its end user. We need to rethink what is standardised and what is customised.  To treat design less as a formal creation of a static object and more as agile product with distinct parts able to reconfigure and adapt to accommodate changing needs. A Design process is therefore required that moves from static representation of a formal idea to a design of a system that can be organized and controlled using digital tools.

Sustainability

40% of global CO2 emissions are attributed to the built environment

Our pursuit of new ways to reduce carbon and change behaviours gained us the coveted title of Architectural Practice of the Year in 2012. This unprecedented achievement led us to establish our Research and Development group whose role is to investigate new ways of seeing and thinking about the challenges we face in the industry.

Innovation in Offsite Construction

A recent study found that using offsite construction could cut carbon emissions by as much as 45% compared with traditional building methods.

Linking to offsite fabrication methods and using a kit of parts approach to modularity, we aim to use technology available in digital design tools to create environments that harness the power of the virtual world to create innovative modes of communication and collaboration. This process engages with many different stakeholders to input in finding a new relationship between customisation and standardisation

We use modular offsite construction combined with algorithmic tools to find new ways to maximise customisation of repeatable standardised parts.

From the power of computation, a simple base parts can be repeated and articulated in such a way that can create a richness in forms and possibilities.

Modular Components can be disassembled, reconfigured, and reused- in a LEGO like approach. This process reduces carbon footprint for building modules where parts can potentially be reused.